Live Online Replay: Hospital wait times

This week, CBC News unveiled Rate My Hospital, an online resource developed by CBC's flagship investigative news program, the fifth estate. The initiative was designed to bring more transparency and accountability to our health care system and to arm Canadians with the information they need to inform themselves when preparing for a hospital stay.

For many, that stay begins in a waiting room.

"Excuse me, do you know how long will the wait will be?"

If you or a loved one has ever sought help in a special ward or emergency room, you may know what it feels like to hurry up and wait. While you sit in pain or panic, doctors and nurses rush to make every minute count.

Some hospitals have found ways to reduce the amount of time patients spend in limbo, while others are lagging behind. How much do wait times vary between provinces, cities and hospitals? And what are the highest performers doing differently?

This week on CBC Live Online, host Lauren O'Neil spoke to three panelists about what can be done to reduce the amount of time the sick and injured must wait before receiving the medical attention they need.

This week's special guests were:

Dr. Chris Simpson: a cardiologist in Kingston, Ont. and chair of the Wait Times Alliance.

Dr. Nancy Whitmore: chief of staff of the St. Thomas Elgin Hospital, which has a straightforward but effective approach to reducing wait times